Lufthansa cuts flights as coronavirus cases increase in Europe

Lufthansa and its subsidiaries are reducing flights to Italian and Asian destinations, the Frankfurt-based airline said on Monday, as the widening coronavirus epidemic continues to weigh on Europe.

“In addition, the frequencies on internal German connections from Frankfurt to Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Paderborn, and from Munich to Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Bremen and Hanover will be reduced,’’ Germany’s largest airline said.

Lufthansa and its subsidiaries, Swiss and Austrian Airlines, have already cancelled all flights to and from Chinese mainland destinations.

The new move is a reaction to the spread of the virus and it affects flights scheduled for March and April to Italy, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Flights to mainland China have been cancelled through April 24 and to Tehran through April 30.

“Germany’s capital, Berlin, had confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus,’’ the city’s Department for Health and Equality said on Sunday.

Report says it is only one of the latest instances of the disease, which has spread from China since its discovery in December.

The patient is in isolation and is receiving medical treatment as authorities have begun to trace those who have had contact with the patient.

In France, the Paris Book Fair, the biggest annual event of the French publishing industry, was cancelled due to government restrictions on indoor events involving more than 5,000 people.

Organisers said the fair, which had been due to take place from March 20 to 23, usually got more than 160,000 visitors.

In the Nordic region, the number of reported coronavirus cases as at Monday was as follows: four in Denmark, six in Finland, three in Iceland, 19 in Norway and 14 in Sweden. (dpa/NAN)